Trailer top doors

E

Equibeau

Well-Known Member
Joined
19 September 2004
Messages
568
Visit site
This is a little bug bear of mine, I have been up and down the motorway a lot lately and have seen this week 3 trailers which have the front top door open (at speeds of around 60mph). I wouldnt travel mine like that, poor horses must have their eyes blasted and hay seeds blowing everywhere. Is there any reason for this? Would you leave this door open when travelling?
confused.gif
 
Certainly be a tad breezy woudn't it!

Mind you, I have a bug bear with people who shut their horses completely into the trailer (ie back top doors shut) - really don't see the point for this and to me its a bit like shutting them up completely in a sardine can! Friend of mine does it and just said "well its no different to them being shut in a lorry", but I think it is, or am I just being silly! (I don't mind being told that, I can take it!!)

Understand completely for the front door, but not the back.
 
I would have thought that anyone who travels their horse in a lorry opens at least a few windows otherwise there would be steam coming out when they eventually let down the ramp
smile.gif


BUT, thats not the same as leaving the front open on a trailer I hasten to add ! I always left the back doors open when I had a trailer, even though some morons threw a beer can in one day when we were stuck at traffic lights ..
frown.gif
 
I would never travel with the front door open - I have once but completely by accident and only for 10 mins before i noticed - how i missed i do not know. We were only travelling at 30mph and under along lanes so wasnt too bad - plus my pony is small so wouldnt have got the full breeze
 
i saw this as well and it is sooooooo awful i think. poor horsess...it might not just be hay seeds that blow...imagine if a twig or other such thing blew in. also what if they stuck there noses out!
 
My old mare used to fall in the trailer if the front top door wasn't left open. I think she needed a horizon to balance properly. I must admit we never went above 40 due to speed limits and she used to wear a full face fly mask, quite a sturdy one with a nose section as I was worried about stuff getting in her eyes. We didn't have any problems, but as I say we didn't go very far or very fast.
 
Certainly would never travel with the front top door open, I do shut 1 of the back doors though if it's tipping down & we're going on the motorway, just keeps the delicate little flower dry!!
 
Ive seen this too and cant understand why. Suppose for a very small pony on a short journey its not too bad but with a horse on the motorway, no way. I shut one back door, the one on the road side and this has only been with my present horse. He is very spooky and if something large was to overtake at least he cant see it pass so closely. Saying that after a long break of trailer travel (been using a wagon) I now cant keep him in the trailer to go anywhere
frown.gif
mad.gif
confused.gif
 
I have only done this once when it was driving rain on the motorway, and my mare's backside was getting soaked, but on the whole I agree with you - I don't think you get the air circulation in a trailer that you do in a lorry - I feel really claustrophobic in my trailer with all the doors shut!
 
I've only done it once, quite by accident. Was travelling with somebody other than my usual travelling companion and our well practised system went to pot. Fortunately it was a slow journey and no harm was done. Would never do it on purpose unless it was a very slow journey on a very hot day
 
I never travel with the front trailer top door open. When on the motorways we close both back top doors, as the horses get worried by lorries right up their backsides. But then pull over and open them again once off of the Motorway. We always have the top vent open, and usually one if not two of the windows.
 
Well I wouldn't travel with the front top door open, and I don't shut the top ones at the rear either.

But I was thinking that if you had the top front open, would it really be much different to the open trailers that we see used in America for instance? My daughters and I often watch 'Animal Cops Houston' and they go to collect rescue horses and cattle in open trailers and you see them going at some speed along the highway.
 
Yesterday I was horrified when I passed a trailer on the M25. The trailer was too small for the large horse inside so they had hung his tail over the back door. Apart from the fact that the horse must've been uncomfortable, it can't possibly be safe.
 
Never - I always keep the back doors open to let plenty of air in but not the front - would cause eye problems with the wind blowing in at that speed!

I do open the front top door to let him see out when we are parked at events and he is standing in the trailer so he doesn't get bored.
 
I have occasionally travelled 4 miles on country roads (moving from field to yard) with the front open as the clostrophobic horse coped better..... but I wouldn't consider it for faster/ longer journeys. have since seen some one go past me with a perspex window in place of the top door, so I will be investigating that option. I always have the back doors open as I find it very dark and clostrophobic with everything shut.... and that is me what about my horses!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top